students working in culinary kitchen

Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Internships

Culinary and hospitality students must complete internships as part of the requirement for graduation.

Students who are interested in pursuing academic credit should take note of the following requirements and academic approval process. Any student enrolled in a program requiring an internship should consult their academic department first before starting the approval process. Not all required internships follow the process outlined below.

Students who have secured an internship and would like to pursue academic credit should:

Internship Requirements

Students who want to pursue an academic internship need to have completed 12 credit hours and maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA.

Students are required to work with a faculty advisor who will oversee the term of the internship. Students who have a preferred faculty member identified should secure authorization from that faculty member prior to starting the internship. Career Services can assist students who do not have a faculty member identified.

  • All internship positions need to be approved by Career Services and the appropriate academic department.
  • Academic internships must coincide with an appropriate academic term. The Career Services Center can assist students with the available options.
  • All internship hours must be completed during the same term the student is enrolled in the internship class.
  • Academic credit is earned by completing the required work hours and the academic assignments identified by the faculty advisor.

Earned Internship Credit

  • 75 work hours + coursework = 1 credit
  • 150 work hours + coursework = 2 credits
  • 225 work hours + coursework = 3 credits
  • 300 work hours + coursework = 4 credits

 

Frequently Asked Questions

The academic approval process takes 5-10 business days once all completed paperwork is received by the internship coordinator. Students are encouraged to begin the process early.
Each internship must occur during a COD academic term. Some options do exist once the semester has started, however, students should schedule a meeting with their faculty advisor or internship coordinator to discuss all options and factors.
All internship courses require a permit to register. Permits are only issued after the student has received approval for his or her academic internship. Please review the Academic Internship Requirements and the Internship Checklist for information about this process.
If your current job is industry appropriate and offers you the opportunity to learn and execute your goals as agreed upon with your faculty advisor, yes you may.      
Your faculty advisor will issue an “Incomplete” as your grade. You will have one year to complete the remaining hours. Upon completion, your faculty advisor will amend the “Incomplete” to reflect the actual grade earned.

Contact Information

Laura Lerdal, Culinary Market and Lab Coordinator
(630) 942-2359
Email: lerdal@cod.edu

Tracey Dulceak, Program Support Specialist
(630) 942-2514
Email: dulceakt@cod.edu

David Kramer, Chair, Associate Professor, Culinary, Baking and Pastry Arts
(630) 942-2868
Email: kramerd@cod.edu

Tim Meyers, Chair, Professor, Culinary, Baking and Pastry Arts
(630) 942-3223
Email: meyerst@cod.edu

Arts, Communication, and Hospitality Division
McAninch Arts Center (MAC), Room 219
(630) 942-2048